News

Most Australians consider themselves to be in good health, according to the latest two-yearly report card from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The report, Australia’s health 2016 is a key information resource, and was launched today by federal Health Minister, the Hon. Sussan Ley.

AIHW Director and CEO Barry Sandison said the report provided new insights and new ways of understanding the health of Australians.

‘The report shows that Australia has much to be proud of in terms of health,’ he said. ‘We are living longer than ever before, death rates continue to fall, and most of us consider ourselves to be in good health.’

If Australia had a population of just 100 people, 56 would rate their health as ‘excellent’, or ‘very good’ and 29 as ‘good’.

‘However, 19 of us would have a disability, 20 a mental health disorder in the last 12 months, and 50 at least one chronic disease.’

Mr Sandison said the influence of lifestyle factors on a person’s health was a recurring theme of the report.

‘13 out of 100 of us smoke daily, 18 drink alcohol at risky levels, and 95 do not eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.

‘And while 55 do enough physical activity, 63 of us are overweight or obese.’

Mr Sandison said that while lifestyle choices were a major contributor to the development of many chronic diseases, other factors such as our income, education and whether we had a job—known as ‘social determinants’—all affected our health, for better or worse.

‘As a general rule, every step up the socioeconomic ladder is accompanied by an increase in health.

‘Compared with people living in the highest socioeconomic areas, people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas generally live about 3 years less, are 1.6 times as likely to have more than one chronic health condition, and are 3 times as likely to smoke daily.’

As well as looking at factors influencing individuals’ health, today’s report also examines the health of particular population groups, and shows considerable disparities.

‘For example, while there have been some improvements overall in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians—including falls in smoking rates and infant mortality—Indigenous Australians continue to have a lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous Australians, at 69.1 years for males and 73.7 for females, more than 10 years shorter than for non-Indigenous Australians,’ Mr Sandison said.

Indigenous Australians also continue to have higher rates of many diseases, such as diabetes, end-stage kidney disease and coronary heart disease.

For people living in rural and remote areas, where accessing services can be more difficult, lower life expectancy and higher rates of disease and injury—particularly road accidents—are of concern.

In Australia, health services are delivered by a mix of public and private providers that includes more than 1,300 hospitals and about 385,000 nurses, midwives and medical practitioners.

Of the $155 billion spent on health in 2013–14, $145 billion was recurrent expenditure. Hospitals accounted for 40% of recurrent expenditure ($59 billion), primary health care 38% ($55 billion), with the remaining 22% spent on other health goods and services. For the first time, the report examines how spending by age for people admitted to hospital has changed over time.

Mr Sandison said the analysis showed that the largest increase in spending between 2004–05 and 2012–13 was for Australians aged 50 and over.

‘This was due to more being spent per person in the population as well as the increased number of people in these age groups.’

Mr Sandison also said that while Australia’s health 2016 provides an excellent overview of Australia’s health at a point in time, there is still scope to expand on the analysis.

‘New to this edition is information on the changing nature of services provided by public and private hospitals over the last 10 years; information about how geography affects Indigenous women’s access to maternal health services; and about the increasing role of institutions such as hospitals and residential aged care in end-of-life care.

‘Good data is essential to inform debate and policy and service delivery decision-making—and improving its quality and availability is at the core of the AIHW’s work.

Aries

You probably had no idea that you'd be doing great things today, but your normal life takes a back seat to something bigger. A major event pulls you out of your seat and into line. Every mobilization needs a leader and for reasons that escape you, you're at the head of this action. Maybe there's still some way to use the plan that you had before this whole thing started. With so many people depending on you, you'd better come up with something. Hanging onto your sense of humor would also be a good idea.

Taurus

Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be the stubborn one? Somebody here is beating you at your own game. Feet are planted, horns are lowered and this person is daring you to knock the chip off his or her shoulder. Even if you don't normally consider yourself a radical, you're tempted to do something extreme, if only for the shock value. Be aware that cosmic conditions aren't favorable for this kind of action. Rudeness or antagonism is almost sure to backfire. Could you stand having egg on your face right now?

Gemini

Staying focused is a lost cause. The world interrupts you whenever you get started. You actually don't mind being jolted off track every few minutes. This is the kind of excuse that you're always looking for on slow days. Now you're spread out on a global scale with a connection on every continent and a finger in every pie. Your speech is flavored with words and phrases from other languages. These things flow out of you naturally, without pretense. Anyone paying close attention will notice your frequent changes of opinion. You're entitled to think whatever you want.

Cancer

You're anything but dominant. Playground bullies and mother hens see you as a target. It's about them, not you and that means you'll be expected to bow before their opinions. It might even come to serving their needs if you're not ready to fight for your independence. Maybe your energy is low, or maybe you lack the necessary strength. Emphasis is especially important when you hope to get your point across. The right people will respect you if you can look intelligent while doing this. A blast of raw emotion will just play into the hands of your oppressors.

Leo

It's good to have a purpose and a plan. Are you in danger of letting these things hijack your identity? Of course not. Broaden your perspective and take a look at what's been happening past the edges of your tunnel vision. Other forward-thinking individuals will be pleased by your efforts to meet them halfway. Even as you open your eyes, you'll find your heart opening as well. Feeling the connection with someone isn't enough. You want to learn more. Before you know it, you're caught up in a different quest. That seems to be your current cosmic assignment.

Virgo

You wish you could relax, but you just know that something is happening somewhere and that in some way it concerns you. An expected interruption may never materialize. Instead, slow change creeps up on you as you pace and fumble. Familiar sequences bother you when they fall out of order. Consider this an invitation to clean out your desk or house, discarding whatever you haven't used in a while. The cost of buying a replacement at some future date is worth the peace of mind that you'll get right now. Take all constructive criticism seriously. People want to help.

Libra

You're ready to get started. If you don't have a specific plan, consult the list. Projects that you've been avoiding for a while look a lot less daunting. In fact, you might even have some fun with this. As you connect intellectually and emotionally with the task at hand, you notice a positive change in the ways that you deal with other people. Could this be the elusive secret of success? Explore the situation before locking onto any of its more seductive aspects. Wander off the path for a while, just to get the feeling of different terrain under your feet.

Scorpio

There's sudden change and a wave of what could be excuses or explanations. Any kind of big shakeup serves as a loyalty test. Do you even know the person who claims to be your new best friend? Try to get your bearings in a familiar room that was just redecorated or repurposed. Were you consulted about this? Maybe someone asked and you forgot about it. Don't let your mood run away with you. Avoid trivializing or lashing out at people that aren't directly related to your problem. You need their help more than you need their anger.

Sagittarius

Your name is on everybody's list. Your good qualities are being held up as standards to which others should aspire. You don't mind it here in the spotlight. Life is interesting, people are nice to you and the food and music are very good indeed. With so many stepping forward to share your joys and triumphs, you won't be lonely any time soon. Maybe you'll have the presence of mind to channel the benefits of being a celebrity into some greater good. Use all this attention to advance causes that are important to you. Make a real difference in the world.

Capricorn

Not everything has to happen all at once. You might not even know all that's supposed to be unfolding. In other words, there's still room for trial and error. If you run into a wall attempting to carry out today's plan, pick yourself up and start planning for tomorrow. Work from the evidence at hand. Veer into wild speculation only as a last resort and even then you should be cautious when considering unusual or untried options. Choose your associates with care. Avoid leaning too heavily on people who have a history of being unreliable.

Aquarius

Every month you have a few days when you can do no wrong. That time is here again. The Stars shine on your home, tent, car or wherever you're spending your quality time. When freedom calls, you're the one who picks up the phone. You have ideas to carry out and friends who follow you to whatever new place you lead them. Make waves and move mountains as you delight in change for its own sake. Of course your underlying motive is to help others, but you can't resist showing them some unheard-of options while you do it.

Pisces

Believers in psychic phenomena feel sure that they've just had a verifiable experience. Those who are afraid of their powers move a little deeper into denial. Making nonverbal contact with someone else's mind can be both exhilarating and disturbing. Like politics or religion, the subject requires people to walk softly around it and there's no point in discussing what others will not accept. When all else fails, you're free to your own way and do what you need to do. If it looks silly or self-destructive to others, that's their problem. Everyone needs to respect each other's process.